My younger sister has been making this bread over the last year. I gave her some bread making set, tools so-to-speak and she promised me a loaf one day. She showed up with one at my birthday last January. It was so beautiful! I got home and cut it, It was totally delish, but for some reason, even though it wasn't burnt at all, the very bottom crust was so hard you could barely cut it with a knife! LOL.... so I cut it off and the rest was perfect. Yum !
I have never bartered for much of anything I can remember. I may have fed a few people that helped my husband with several things and back in the day, I was a pretty darned good cook. I don't know it that counts.
That counts, your cooking skills for services rendered; that's a barter for sure.
As for the base on the sourdough, not sure why that happened but shouldn't have I think. I mean, the bottom crust is always going to be more tough I guess, being on the pan and all, but not able to be cut? Seems excessive.